NEWS AND EVENTS

Following the recent meeting of the Investment Committee of the ILBF, The Irish Language Broadcast Fund is pleased to announce its latest funding decisions. Awards were made across of a wide genre of programming, including documentaries, factual entertainment, re-versioned animation and new media applications.

In the documentary category Derry based Dearcán Media has been awarded funding for Na Sufraigéidí (TG4) which will examine how Irish women fought for and got their voting rights. Bóthar Ard Teo received funding for a three part series for the Cogar slot for TG4, which will look at three well known Belfast personalities and how their deeds have impacted on their local communities.

Waddell Media Ltd received funding for a documentary entitled Deirfiúr le Dia (TG4) which will follow a young carer as she prepares for her A Levels. Doubleband was successful in their submission for a four part series tracing the treasures of ancient Ulster (BBC2 NI) . Big Mountain was also awarded funding for a four part series entitled The Lost Village (RTÉ) which will look at the stories of four families who were evicted from their homes in Carrowmenagh.

Below the Radar was also successful in their application to produce a half hour documentary entitled Dlí Rory (TG4), which will look at the story of Rory Staunton and how his family are challenging the health system in America. Imagine Media received funding for a four part series entitled Marcaíocht (TG4) which will follow the fortunes of a Donegal horse riding club over a year. Tobar Productions was awarded funding for two documentaries, one which will look at the impact Brian Friel’s play Translations had on both the actors that partook in it when it was first shown and also the impact it had on Derry as a city; (BBC2 NI), and the second which is entitled Caillte sa Chogadh (TG4) which will trace the story of a local WWI soldier.

Funding was also awarded to 360 Production for an Irish language version of the successful Things You Need To Know (BBC2 NI) series which explores and answers many of the common questions of science, history and current affairs.

Development funding was awarded to Imagine Media to develop a documentary, Wolftone (TG4) and Stirling Productions was also awarded development funding for a second series of Scúp (TG4 / BBC).

Raidió Fáilte was successful in their application for funding to continue with their broadcast training scheme which provides an excellent basis for moving into other areas of production.

Indee Productions received funding to develop an App to compliment their children’s cookery series Bia Linn (TG4).

Funding deadlines for 2013 are as follows:

12 noon on Friday 1st March

12 noon on Friday 31st May

12 noon on Friday 27th September

The ILBF has an annual fund of £3m, provided by the UK’s Department of Culture, Media & Sport via the British Film Institute. Funding is made available to production companies based in Northern Ireland. It expects to deliver not less than 70 hours of Irish language output per annum which is broadcast on TG4, BBC NI and RTÉ. Its remit also includes funding for multiplatform and educational material as well as the provision of training opportunities to Irish speakers working in the production sector.